page_title: Anjou wine
section_title: Climate and geography
hierarchical_section_title: Anjou wine / Climate and geography
caption_attribution_description: English: Panoramic view of the Layon valley from Les moulins d'Ardenay (Litt. the Ardenay windmills) in Maine-et-Loire, France. In this picture, the Layon is flooding in the nearby fields, which is rather common in spring. Français&#160;: Panorama de la vallée du Layon vue des moulins d'Ardenay. Maine-et-Loire, France. Le Layon est en crue et inonde les prairies humides qui l'entourent, ce qui est fréquent au printemps.
context_page_description: Anjou wine is produced in the Loire Valley wine region of France near the city of Angers. The wines of region are often grouped together with the wines of nearby Saumur as "Anjou-Saumur". Along with the wines produced further east in Touraine, Anjou-Saumur make what is collectively known as the "Middle Loire"
context_section_description: Located along the Loire River near the town of Angers, the region of Anjou has a mild continental climate with some maritime influences due to its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. This influence is tempered by the forests of the Vendée department to the southwest which absorbs the brunt of the rainfall and winds coming in off the Atlantic. Annual rainfall totals for the region usually hover around 19 inches (500mm). The vineyard soils close to the Loire River are composed primarily of carboniferous rock and schist. Chenin blanc, in particular, seems to do well in this soil type.
  Most of the wine regions in Anjou are located south of the river Loire, with the one notable exception of Savennières which is located on the right bank of the river just south of Angers. The tributaries of the Loire, particularly the Layon and Aubance, play significant roles in the area's wine production with vineyard planted on their right banks and sheltered from wind by nearby hill sides. The Aubance and Layon flow parallel to each other going northwest towards the Loire and when the climate is favorable can help promote the development of noble rot that is at the heart of the region's sweet wine production.
caption: The tributaries of the Loire, such as the Layon river (pictured), play an important role in viticulture of the Anjou wine region.
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